Corporal punishment is an extremely controversial issue in Guyana, with deep divisions
between those with opposing views on the subject.
In their work on the issue of corporal punishment, the organizations and individual
activists who are part of the present initiative have so far dealt with it as part of a larger
area of work addressing all forms of violence against children. Unfortunately, this has
been an ineffective approach, which was made evident again in 2007 when a
parliamentary motion to end corporal punishment in schools was introduced. It has been
ineffective because while people will universally call for an end to violence against
children, many teachers, parents and other stakeholders do not see corporal punishment
as violence against children but rather as a reasonable and necessary disciplinary tool.
However, a specific focus on corporal punishment does not intend to isolate corporal
punishment from the larger issue of violence against children. Rather, the intent is to
start with corporal punishment as a separate issue in order to reconnect it to all forms of
violence against children. Our experience has shown that unless we do this those who
hold the position that corporal punishment is not violence will simply remain closed to a
campaign to end it.

This report was prepared in 2008 by Business Unlimited Consulting Services (Chantalle Smith & Jewel Mbozi)